About Me

I am a native of Illinois and grew up in Wilmette, a northern suburb of Chicago. I have one sibling, an older brother.
After dropping out of college, I moved to California in 1973 with my first husband. I married my present husband, Butch, in 1977 and got 4 children in the deal. They have gone on to make me a grandmother 24 times over and a great-grandmother of 13.
Three years after I married Butch I returned to school. I got my bachelors and masters degrees in speech communication and was a professor in that field for 13 years. I retired in 2001 to return to school and get my doctorate in folklore. Now I meld my two interests - folklore and genealogy - and add my teaching background, resulting in my current profession: speaker/entertainer of genealogically-related topics. I play a number of folk instruments, but my preference is guitar, which I have been playing since 1963. I am a Board Certified genealogist and more information on all this, as well as direct contact info, is on my Circlemending website.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Colors

We are in such beautiful country at the moment - the Southeastern US (traveled through Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee, so far) and have enjoyed the lush greens of the hillsides (though Butch says that it simply means that the area gets tons of rain, which I've never been overly fond of . . . he's probably right). On our travels, we listen to a lot of XM radio - 2 stations, primarily: XM-164, the classic radio shows of Butch's childhood; and XM-15, the Village - folk radio. One day, when we were tuned to the Village, the "disc jockey" (though today's discs sure are different from the ones they used to spin!) played a serious of songs using the word "blue." You can probably come up with a number of the songs that were included. Anyway, I thought, to make it a little broader, about using the theme "color" for today's Sunday Singalong with Circlemending. Last week's theme (food/drink) didn't seem to stir too many into suggesting anything, so maybe "color" will be a little less specific. You can suggest a song that has reference to a particular color, colors in general, or even one that just alludes to a color.

About a year and a half ago we had the opportunity to meet Barry McGuire (The New Christy Minstrels), and so I am going to put down my "offering": "Green, Green." Check out his 2007 YouTube rendition and see how he, like all of us, has changed when you compare it to the one by the New Christy Minstrels (Barry is the lead singer), originally recorded many, many moons ago. Well . . . the green is still there, in spite of the years that have passed (guess that song has received a lot of rain!).

Remember, for your song choice you can list all the lyrics or just a verse and/or chorus (ideally, the one with the color mentioned), or even just the title. Or provide a link to an MP3, YouTube video, or copy of the lyrics. Extra special: tell why the song came to mind!

6 comments:

Here's a Johnny Mercer song from the past that includes the color "Russet Brown." It's one of my favorites - EARLY AUTUMN.

EARLY AUTUMN

When an early autumn walks the land and chills the breezeand touches with her hand the summer trees,perhaps you'll understand what memories I own.There's a dance pavilion in the rain all shuttered down,a winding country lane all RUSSET BROWN,a frosty window pane shows me a town grown lonely.That spring of ours that started so April-hearted,seemed made for just a boy and girl.I never dreamed, did you, any fall would come in viewso early, early.Darling if you care, please, let me know,I'll meet you anywhere, I miss you so.Let's never have to share another early autumn.

The first color song that came to my mind was, "The world is black, the world is white . . . " I'm such a 1970s girl. I learned to strum a few guitar chords way back when--Who didn't?--and it was in one of the song books that I had.

I've just now realized the history behind the words: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_White_%28Three_Dog_Night_song%29

As usual when you ask me about a song my first thought turns to Linda Eder. It happens that one of my favorite songs of hers is the song, "Gold". Most folks have never heard of Linda (which is a darn shame), but they may have heard the song and not even realized it. Several years ago, gold medalist Kritsi Yamaguchi skated to it at the opening ceremonies. Of course I can't recall what year, but here are the lyrics:

"I wonder if when all is done,Anyone heard my voice...But from the start, we have no choiceOur journeys just begin

I'll never know if I was rightDid I fight hard enough?Or when the battles grew too rough,Should I have given in?

But here I stand and swear to you:I did the best that I could do

I know my voice was just a whisperBut someone may have heardThere were nights the moon above me stirredAnd let me grab aholdMy hands... have touched... the GOLD...

My heart's been driven by extremes,Blind with dreams, tight with fearBut still, God knows that I was here,And oh I was alive! And now i lay the past to rest,For in the end, I did my best

You have to live the life you're givenAnd never close your eyes!You hold on and stare into the skiesAnd burn against the coldFor any moment you might find the GOLD!

And there was joy through it all,And I am standing tallAnd though my voice was just a whisper,Someone must have heard!There were nights the moon above me stirredAnd let my life take hold!

I rode across that sky!And once I touched the GOLDHere in my own two hands...I once held the GOLD"

I've always been a fan of Tom Jones. I used to watch his variety show when I was a kid. One of the songs I've always loved by him is, "Green Green Grass of Home". I have it on my ITunes.

The old home town looks the same,As I step down from the trainAnd there to greet me is my mamma and my poppaDown the road I look, and there runs Mary,Hair of gold, lips like cherries,It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

Yes, they'll all come to meet me, Arms a-reachin', smilin' sweetly,It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

The old house is still standin,'Though the paint is cracked and dryAnd there's that old oak tree, That I used to play on.Down the lane I'll walk with my sweet Mary,Hair of gold and lips like cherriesIt's good to touch the green, green grass of home.

Then I awake and look around me,At the four gray walls that surround me,And I realize .Yes I was only dreaming,For there's a guard and a sad old padre,Arm in arm we'll walk at daybreak,And at last I'll touch the green green grass of home

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Material on this blog is copyrighted by Jean Wilcox Hibben. Any information from a source other than Jean Wilcox Hibben is credited accordingly. Reproduction or reprinting of it in any way is prohibited without written permission from its author or the cited source.